how do you get smoove cornering technique?

[surfchick]

i just came back from a ride by myself to the end of the parakai rd (missed the wellsford turn...). it's nice an wiggley and I've got some questions bout getting nice cornering technique- (i've read the bit about lines in the biker bible but...)

if the turns are tight at the end of a straight do you guys chop down through the gears as the main form of breaking? or do you cram on the anchors more- or a bix of both...

i take it that theoretically there should be no deceleration once you are turning the corner unless you bung up the entry (like i did today...) and that powerful accelleration can happen once you can see the way out of the corner?

i tend to ride with the balls of my feet on the pegs cause it feels more connected to the bike than having my arches on them, but then you have to move your whole foot to the gears and back break- any suggestions?

any general tip for things to practice with cornering? any big-time don'ts? i con sort of feel that time on the road might correct a few bung habbits, but sometimes it's better to know how things should be done first...

[TwoSeven]

I'm not sure. None of my dictionaries can tell me what smoove is

Here is a basic training thing.

Ride the circuit at below/legal limits and dont use the brakes and stay in the same gear. It will dawn on you after a bit that you dont want to accelerate so hard and you are shutting the throttle earlier. You'll find you'll be dead smooth and also using the right lines.

The whole competition here is to not use the brakes and try not to change gear.

After you can do your whole circuit without using the brakes and with minimal gear changes, then you can start looking at the brakes. By this time you will be well smooth.

To make it harder, dont take racing lines on the road - only idiots do that. Take the safe lines, it will polish up your riding skills big time because it makes some of the corners tighter

[LED]

easy tiger.....take your time.....what ever feels comfortable for a while and build up the confidence, (this is pretty cheap coming from me but anyhow....)would suggest the BRONZ site with their details of training rides some months out in Whenuapai.......I mean when would you ever bother to get out cones etc otherwise. Apparently its great value and may take time off a learners or restricted. Someone may be able to help with that one. As for corners......it'll happen grass hopper!

[Waylander]

And you can always join some of the fellas and fellasess on here for a track day. From the look of things XJFrosty is plannin another one for around October down at Taupo. I plan on doin that one myself to help me corner better so I wont be surprised by hidden curves and dickhead cagers. You can also follow some of the better riders around the track and see what they are doing and then try it yourself, albeit at a much slower speed.

[flyin]

keeping your toes on the pegs if definatly the way to go!! you can lean further too cos your boots wont be scraping contsantly........

when approaching a corner, engine braking is usefull but bad for the motor to do too much, using front brakes should be the main form reduction in speed, plus the harder you brake the longer you get to hold your speed....stil accelerating up to the corner.......ALWAYS brake before the corner on the STRAIGHT

power needs to be applied evenly through the corner, slowly increasing revs the entire time, this keeps the bike balanced and weight on the rear wheel (handy cos it does all the steering once leaned over)

Theres a good write-up of tips and riding techniques around on this site, link below, should you be keen for a read........ well i read up then practiced a little, adapted to what felt right for me and now (4 months later) guys who know how to ride are telling me that I look like i know what i'm doing so there must be some good tips.....

here- http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ht=riding+tips

[John]

to add to the above, crash into a ditch or run off the apex or something it makes you corner much more smoothly next time, well so I hear.

[flyin]

to add to the above, crash into a ditch or run off the apex or something it makes you corner much more smoothly next time, well so I hear.

Great point there John!! this is indeed the fastest way to improve ones riding!!
has to be done by all at one point or another.....I've done it twice myself..made my riding HEAPS smoother.... just hope/pray that it is meerly into a ditch etc at low speeds.......

[Sparky Bills]

just look to the exit of the corner.
Even if your going too fast, keep your eyes up.
While in the corner, keep your upper body (including arms) relaxed.
The suspension is working hard enough as it is with having to take extra weight too.
and inside shoulder pointing into the inside of the corner.

Ok, thats the end of the SB rider training school.
Next lesson, we will learn the art of elbow scraping.
Happy Riding.

[riffer]

just look to the exit of the corner.
Even if your going too fast, keep your eyes up.
While in the corner, keep your upper body (including arms) relaxed.
The suspension is working hard enough as it is with having to take extra weight too.
and inside shoulder pointing into the inside of the corner.

Yup. That's right. But I gotta tell you its bloody scarey sometimes when you know your bike can go around the corner and every nerve in your body is telling you that you can't get around.

Damn that self-preservation instinct.

[justsomeguy]

Look where you want to go............ ALWAYS.

No matter what the rest of your instincts tell you always look at where you want to be even if it seems like you're going off keep your attention focused on the piece of road/vanishing point, etc that you want to ideally be on.

I am a very inexperienced rider and get caught out on this quite a few times. Target Fixating is a huge nuisance

Do what they do when trying to get an olympic gold....... practice

[Pwalo]

Good advice guys. Just remember look where you want to go, and PRACTICE. It's the only way you get better.

Believe me it does get easier.

Ciao.

[trev]

If you want something to refer to try the following books :-

Smooth Riding The Pridmore Way Reg Pridmore

Twist of the Wrist ( & other titles ) Keith Code

You can get them from TechBooks in Newmarket for $50 or
order them online through either Whitcoulls or PaperPlus for less but wait 5 - 10 days.

I've only read the Pridmore book & it has some helpful tips & whilst I've got
a lot of practicing to see major improvements I found his ideas worked
on the Coro ride yesterday.

[scumdog]

just look to the exit of the corner.
Even if your going too fast, keep your eyes up.
While in the corner, keep your upper body (including arms) relaxed.
The suspension is working hard enough as it is with having to take extra weight too.
and inside shoulder pointing into the inside of the corner.

Ok, thats the end of the SB rider training school.
Next lesson, we will learn the art of elbow scraping.
Happy Riding.

Too true, look as far ahead as you can see (around the corner) and keep your head up focussed on the exit, you'll be amazed at how much smoother your cornering will be.

Don't worry too much about what's on the road 20 or so yards ahead, whatever you see on the road at that distance is unlikely to be able to be avoided and if you corner looking only that far ahead you'll find you corner in a series of jerky 'turn-straighten-turn-straighten' movements.

[Posh Tourer :P]

any general tip for things to practice with cornering? any big-time don'ts? i con sort of feel that time on the road might correct a few bung habbits, but sometimes it's better to know how things should be done first...

What I would do is try a variety of different lines, at a slow pace. You will soon see which feels easiest. Even if you know the theory, this will reinforce exactly how it feels to get a line right. I take it you have read theory about apexing? The best bit of advice I have for anyone is to apex *late* on the road. Always. Late apexes remove the worry factor, as you will never run wide out of a corner (unless of course you go waaayyy too fast...). Also, you can see round the corner better. Much much safer than an early apex.

Try a few different apexes slowly, and you will feel the difference. The rest will come all on its own. As you pick up the pace, you will, without having to think about it, pull the apex back to a normal one (ie the fastest line - but not the safest).

[Motu]

I don't get this whole ''apexing'' talk,like,after 35 yrs I still can't talk the talk.The apex is in the middle of the corner and is the result of what went before,it's determined by your entry.I like a late quick turn in,lay it down and get on the gas early - a modified dirt technique,the pivot turn.Apex and exit are the result of your turn in,you don't just decide on your apex mid corner,or your exit at the apex

The best way to learn smooth riding is to get a gutless bike and learn to keep the pace up,this teaches to keep braking to a minimum,corner speed up and throttle on,it doesn't mean going fast,it means keeping up momentium,it's so hard to get back up to speed you learn never to loose it.This is how Kenny Roberts taught road racing skills,he made his pupils race mini bikes on dirt tracks,this taught them never to back off and loose speed.